Global Energy Group buys J P Knight (Caledonian) Ltd

A member of the J P Knight Group of Rochester in Kent, the long established Scottish company has been acquired in its entirety, in a deal concluded on 14 February 2014. The company’s four tug fleet, crews, shore-side staff, offices and other facilities will continue to operate as before under the existing chief executive, David Offin.

All four vessels are Japanese built ASD tugs capable of harbour towage and seagoing operation. The tugs Kestrel, Keverne, and Kintore are based at Invergordon, providing towage services locally and carrying out coastal and short sea operations. Kindeace, the fourth vessel, has been on long term charter to Multraship Towage and Salvage of Ternuezen for use in Antwerp, bearing the name Multratug 5.

It is understood that the company will in future trade as Caledonian Towage Ltd and the tugs will bear new livery. The tugs Kestrel and Kindeace are likely to be renamed, with ‘true Scottish names’.

This recent acquisition by GEG, owners of the massive, redeveloped Nigg Bay construction facility, represents a further significant expansion of the group’s operations in the Cromarty Firth. Among other recent GEG acquisitions was the multimillion-pound purchase of fabrication firm iFAB from Port Services.

It has been reported that the chairman of GEG, Highland entrepreneur Roy MacGregor, declined to reveal the value of the deal but said the business and its assets fitted well with its growth strategy for existing and potential work in the Firth and further afield. JP Knight (Caledonian) is a long established towage business operating within the Cromarty Firth and surrounding North Sea areas across both the energy and maritime sectors.

J P Knight (Caledonian) Ltd was first formed in 1971 to carry out local and coastal towage, and eventually became a significant part of the JP Knight Group. For many years the company has built up a rapport with Japanese towage interests and has been responsible for bringing a succession of modern Japanese ASD to the UK for its own use and on behalf of other operators.

The parent company, J P Knight Ltd, was formed in 1892 and is the oldest remaining family owned towage organisation in the UK. This latest transaction leaves the company somewhat depleted but with every intention of continuing to operate their tug and barge business in South America. Chairman Richard Knight told Maritime Journal: “The company will continue to operate our existing tug and barge service in South America and can see possibilities for further future development in that business.”

J P Knight Ltd has been transporting bauxite ore downriver from remote inland sites to coastal terminals for many years. Since first becoming involved with river transport in the area, the company has delivered 58 million tonnes of Bauxite over a total distance of 2.7 million miles by river.